The CMA Awards Vault

In The CMA Awards Vault, author Deborah Evans Price takes the reader from the first radio-only Country Music Association Awards broadcast in 1967 to the glittery spectacle of 2009. The author interviewed dozens of Country Music’s biggest stars of the last 50 years to get reactions to their and the CMA’s greatest moments, both on and off the stage. Go behind the scenes for the greatest fashion moments and the art of producing the show, plus the greatest performances of the CMA Awards’ first 43 years. From Sonny James and Bobbi Gentry in 1967 through Vince Gill’s 12 years as the host to the invasion of young stars like Kenny Chesney, Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift, this detailed “scrapbook” contains never-before-published photographs, artwork and memorabilia drawn from the Country Music Association and Nashville Public Library archives. Tucked into dozens of pockets, fans will find reproductions of old programs, lists of winners, tickets and more. These fascinating replicas include the program from that first show in 1967, a note to the CMA from the Charlie Daniels Band in 1980, a ticket to the 40th CMA anniversary show and the set-design blueprint from the 2009 CMA Awards. No Country Music fan should be without this “home archive” of the history of “Country Music’s Biggest Night.” Read more